About Me

I've had one foot in the past ever since I was a kid. One of these days I'll be history, myself, but meanwhile I'll stop here to make some notes about things that interest me and maybe you. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to find my books.

Friday, October 5, 2012

New Book--Manetho Demystified

People who still like to hold actual books in their hands [like me] will be glad to know that "Manetho Demystified" is now in paperback in an augmented version. Here's the book description:
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Every serious student of ancient Egyptian history and chronology will come
across the writings of Manetho of Sebennytos sooner or later. This is the most
comprehensive and easiest to digest explanation and analysis currently in print
of what is behind Manetho's history of his native land and the so-called
epitomes made from his “Aegyptiaca” at a later date. After reading this little
book, you are guaranteed to become an expert on Manetho!

I believe this is so because this is an actual tutorial--even though those who have already studied "Manetho" in detail can learn much from the book, as well. There are aspects of what is found in Manetho not discussed in other popular works. For example, Manetho seems to have known when certain rulers of the 18th Dynasty died and when others succeeded. Also, I make the case that much of what is now considered "genuine Manetho" was actually derived from another Egyptian writer. In Part Three, called "Serious about Sirius", I explain, among other things, how astronomical software has been able to narrow down the day Sirius should have been sighted in the latitude of Thebes during the time of the 18th Dynasty. According to this and my own calculations, there is now a much better way to understand why Hatshepsut celebrated a Heb-sed in her Year 15 with implications for the accession dates for the entire 18th Dynasty.

"Manetho Demystified" is for sale at Amazon.com sites everywhere and is priced according to foreign exchange rates. Click on the book's cover, above, to go to Amazon US. The volume is very slim, 86 pages, but so is the cost.